The present invention relates to an anchoring rail that includes a hollow section which is provided with a slot that extends in the longitudinal direction of the hollow section, with each edge that forms a side of the slot being provided with a toothing that is engaged by corresponding toothings provided on a latching plate which is wider than the slot and is part of a mounting element, with the latching plate being capable of being secured in its engaged position by a threaded bolt.
Commercially available anchoring rails are known that consist of a hollow section of rectangular cross section and are provided with a longitudinal slot for inserting mounting elements. The free ends of the arms that form the slot are bent inward into the hollow section and are parallel to each other. These ends face the bottom of the hollow section, and their edges are each provided with a toothing that is open toward the bottom of the hollow section. The mounting element, in the form of a threaded bolt, is provided with corresponding toothing on that side thereof that faces the threaded shaft. The hammer head of the bolt is inserted through the slot into the hollow section, is rotated by 90.degree. into a position in which the teeth can engage, and is tightened by means of a nut. The toothing provided on the hammer head engages the corresponding toothing of the arms that define the slot, with the teeth being pressed together as the nut is tightened.
The load-carrying surfaces of the teeth are in contact with each other in the longitudinal direction of the anchoring rail and intersect at an acute angle the plane of the slot, with the result that forces that act on the bolt in the longitudinal direction of the anchoring rail produce stresses, in the screwed connection, that act in the axial direction of the bolt. It has been found that such anchoring rails with mounting elements latched in this manner are capable of taking up large loads that act transversely or vertically on the anchoring rail, but that heavy loads in the longitudinal direction of the anchoring rail may cause the mounting element to slide in the longitudinal direction of the slot. Accordingly, loads acting in the longitudinal direction of the anchoring rail that can be taken up are smaller than loads acting transversely or vertically on the anchoring rail.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a suitable design of the anchoring rail and mounting element so that essentially equal loads acting transversely, vertically, or longitudinally on the anchoring rail can be taken up without dislocating the mounting element.